Finding Parallels Between Designs and Life
Qualities of a Great Web Design Firm
When you go looking for a web designer, you will find many options of allegedly great ones out there. This always makes one wonder where all the bad websites came from with all this talent around. You need to choose a web designer or design agency carefully.
Go through their advertised portfolio with a keen eye. Unless a portfolio shows a variety in terms of creativity and style, as well as real-life website examples, it is useless to you. Their portfolio is enough to let you know if you should proceed with the interview. Log into one of their websites to get feel of how your clients will react to their work. The better the portfolio, the easier it is to opt for their services, despite how well educated or experienced they are.
The quality of customer service is critical too. They may be the best designers out there, but if they are not responsive to client requests when needed, it shall be futile. Such behavior indicates neglect to your project, which could spell doom if you wanted it made and launched quickly.
Their skills in designing are also important. Your website design may require certain skills which are necessary for them to have. You are better off hiring a designer who is proficient in the skills you need to be applied, better then one who knows a little of everything. This can be easily ascertained from their portfolio.
The web designers timeline should match yours in the design project. These projects usually have a deadline to them. Whereas a short timeline sounds impressive; it may not be the most accurate. The design process rarely goes according to the set plans. Quoting a longer period allows for all those changes. Too long a timeline also means they have prioritized other things.
Expect full service from them. In their line of work, they need to guarantee that all the key elements of a website have been attended to, such as SEO, e-commerce, branding, multiple device compatibility, and social media integration, among others, properly done and ready to be tested out there in the market. They will need to ensure that all experts in the various sectors are consulted.
It is important to also assess the quality of their communication skills. A website cannot afford to be displayed with grammatical errors. It should also be easy to get what you are trying to say.
They should allow you to contact their previous clients for references. You can tell what kind of firm they are when you listen to their previous clients.
Look also at their service rates. This should be in line with your budget. Going for the cheapest available service does not work out well most of the time. Aim to strike a balance between cost and value returned.